A Magic Beyond All
by MissFaberrySuarez
Summary: Neverland. What lenghts two mothers will go to in order to find their son, all the while coming to terms with their own feelings and how their choices affect a prophecy long before written.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Set in Neverland. Basically how I imagined season three (starting with Regina and Emma's magic lessons), what I think should've happened and how Swan Queen would have developed. This will be a very lengthy story with frequent updates and is rated M for future mature content. Enjoy!

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**A Magic Beyond All**

By MissFaberrySuarez

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**Chapter One**

_An Eye For An Eye_

"Rise and shine, princess."

Regina stood, hands in hips and smirk firmly in place by Emma's bedside - so to speak – and the blonde fluttered her eyes open, expecting to feel the Neverland sun searing in through her corneas.

"What time is it?" She muttered, sitting up and realizing that her assumption had been wrong. The dark night still surrounded her and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Time for a magic lesson."

"It's the middle of the night."

"Where there's a will there's a way. And if my memory serves me correctly we did not agree on a timetable."

Regina spoke with a raspiness to her voice that could probably be traced to her recent lack of sleep. What sort of mother sleeps while her son is at the hands of a demon?

_Emma Swan, apparently_.

"But, but why, why are you even - why?" The blonde murmured, combing her fingers through the most errant strands of hair at the top of her head.

"Because our son is in danger," Regina bellowed, throwing Emma an energy bar that bounced off of the blonde's chest to land on her clumsy palms. "Eat. You're going to need your strength for this."

Emma struggled to unwrap it, still trying to handle the amount of sleep weighing her eyelids.

"For what, exactly?"

"Magic lesson."

"I got _that_," She grumbled through a full mouth. "What're we going t'do?"

Regina fought the impulse to roll her eyes. If someone were to ask her the definition of modern day caveman she would simply point in Emma Swan's direction and sigh.

"Magic."

"Okay, but-"

"You'll know when we get there," She urged Emma forward towards the densest part of the jungle before glancing back at the sleeping Charmings. "And keep quiet, I don't want _mommy and daddy_ sniffing our tails."

The blonde swallowed the last bit of the energy bar along with a ruthless comeback she couldn't quite form. It was like five am for god's sake. Otherwise, Regina would've had it.

They walked through a path Regina cleared with a wisp of her wrist. They walked farther than Emma had originally thought. Where the hell were they going? Images of Regina laughing whilst transforming her into a frog passed through Emma's brain and she shivered. There was no way in hell her screams would be heard back at their campsite. Maybe that was Regina's plan? She could be walking towards some sort of trap for all she knew. Maybe Regina had been working with Pan?! Unlikely. Emma glanced back and then around, just to check.

They only stopped once they were a fair distance from camp and Regina twirled to face her with a predatory glare which reminded Emma too much of a hungry lioness studying its prey.

"Are we exploding something, is that why we're in the middle of nowhere?" She mumbled, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"If that's what you'd like," Regina took two steps closer to her. "If we want to beat Pan you need to learn how to actually fight."

"I supposed that's what we're here for?"

Regina grinned and her smile glimmered with a hint of sneakiness.

"Exactly." She turned away from the blonde and paced back and forth with her arms crossed over her chest in a defiant manner.

"I'm still confused as to what I have to do, like, do you want me to start a fire, or-"

"Fight me, Emma," Regina growled, stopping her wandering to face the blonde. "That's what I want you to do."

Emma's eyes sunk into Regina's, hesitation pouring from them as her lips parted in protest.

Had Regina gone mad? She, Emma frickin' Swan fighting the _Evil Queen_? Yeah, she couldn't wait to get blown into pieces.

Emma did not have a death wish, thank you very much.

"I've told you before Regina, I can't, we can't resort to the darkness, besides, I'm like a tiny little butterfly compared to your magic. You'll chop my head off with a flick of an eye, or you'll- I don't know, turn me into a mosquito and then squash me to death."

Regina stood, hands limp at her sides and eyes dull from the fervent glimmer they had before.

_Oh_.

Did Emma really think of her that way? Did she see only darkness and gore, and heads chopped off?

She swallowed the pressing knot in her throat and spoke.

"I wasn't planning on doing any of that."

Emma broadened her eyes. _Shit_.

"I didn't mean-"

"Not to worry, there'll be no head chopping or mosquito squashing. Just make sure you remember what I've taught you and put it into practice. Don't be shy."

Emma nodded and took two steps back, adding distance between them before settling into her own power stance.

Fists balled in front of her chest, legs parted and knees only somewhat bent.

Regina snickered and shot her hands to her hips, raising one eyebrow before snarling.

"Show me what you got, _Swan_."

The corner of Emma's lips slightly curled upwards and she shut her eyes, focusing on the nervousness boiling at the pit of her stomach.

She could feel it already. The sizzling spark growing in her chest liquefying and slowly coursing through her veins. It electrified them until that evergrowing sweltering energy reached her arms, then her wrists, palms, and, finally, culminated at the tips of her fingers.

"That's it," She faintly heard Regina say and, even with her eyes shut, could almost see the Queen's smirk.

She took so much pleasure in Emma's aptitude for magic, it was actually amusing.

It was that thought that triggered the blonde, and a small but still glimmering purple ball of spark-shooting energy formed at her palms and immediately shot towards Regina, who quickly swiveled a hand to dismiss it.

_Woah_.

She was getting better at this magic making business.

And it felt better than sex. _Literally_.

Her pulse pounded against her neck, the adrenaline rushing through her synapses was inexplicably addicting.

"Is that all?" Regina cocked her head and that snarky smile returned to her lips.

Emma sniggered and shut her eyes again, willing for her magic to come back, racing through her thoughts in order to find the one, _that_ one that would surely cause her to shoot indefinite energy thingies and show Regina what she was _actually_ capable of doing.

She just needed that one thought.

Her parents surged but she quickly pushed the image aside.

Foster home.

Being left in jail.

Having to let Henry go.

Going to Storybrooke.

_Storybrooke_.

Her chest tightened at the magic cooking up inside and she smiled.

She remembered the elections for sheriff. Then Sydney, Gold and, and the fire.

The _fire_.

Yes, definitely the fire. She remembered the heavy atmosphere and the density of the lack of oxygen. She remembered-

_Regina_.

The tingling sensation quickly raced to meet her palms and she clenched her eyes even tighter.

It had been the fastest she'd ever been able to summon her magic twice in a row.

Just a small push and it would be sufficient.

Okay, so, Regina. The fire, she remembered falling. She was on the ground, and her arm- something about her arm. Yes, Regina held onto her arm and then… she looked up at her.

And then, there was smoke.

And then… _then Regina held on to her_.

Suddenly, without even a fair warning, two circles of light emanated from her hands in Regina's direction, one which she quickly dismissed before it hit her and the other scrapped her shoulder, ripping a small opening on her blazer.

Hah. She had not foreseen two of those coming at her.

Emma's jaw immediately dropped.

"I'm so sorry, Regina, I didn't-"

The brunette said nothing but quickly walked towards Emma, circled her and, suddenly, there was a whole lot of Regina pressing against her back. Two hands held her forearms and gently molded them into a position Emma had seen her do countless times.

Except that was so not what was in her mind in that moment.

She could only feel the heat of Regina's torso and her sweet, velvety scent which embraced her nostrils. She felt short puffs of breathing hit her nape and Emma's eyes lulled shut, fogging whatever thought tried to form in her fizzy brain.

She felt everything that was Regina and her heart furiously drummed against her ribcage.

Then, a low whisper slithered into her ear.

"If you want to actually hit your target you need to keep your palms directed at it," Her hands softly positioned Emma's arms. "Like this."

She nodded as if she had been listening to a word Regina said. She'd heard her, but not listened. Definitely not _listened_.

Having her archenemy pressed up against her back was a terrifying experience in many different ways.

As suddenly as she'd come, Regina detached from her and headed back to her place. Emma could've sworn she saw her gulping as Regina ran her hands through her blazer to straighten it even though it looked impossibly flawless aside from the rip on her shoulder.

"Give it a go."

Once again the process repeated itself. Eyes closed, hands in place, the magic stewing within her until it flowed through her and blasted forward, this time slamming against Regina which caused her to jolt ten feet backwards and drop against the ground with a painful thud.

"Shit, shit," Emma raced towards her as Regina scrambled to stand on her feet. Instinctively, she laced an arm around the brunette's shoulders and pulled her up, releasing immediately once she stood.

"Finally, some progress." Regina cleared her hoarse voice.

"Regina, I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize for doing what I asked you to," She spun and walked to her previous place, instructing Emma to do the same. "Don't hold _anything_ back. This time," She took in a breath. "I'll fight back."

All color drained from Emma's face.

She wasn't scared.

_Tell Henry I love him. Goodbye world._

What's a little bit of magic anyway?

_I hope they can find all my limbs after this, I don't want any piece of my body to rot in Neverland_.

She could do it. No biggie. She's the savior, after all.

_Don't let Hook near my corpse. You never know_.

It was going to be just fine.

Right?

Right?

Emma watched fire slowly rise from Regina's palms as she braced herself for the blonde's attack.

Then, she took in a breath and spoke.

"Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

**A Magic Beyond All**

By MissFaberrySuarez

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**Chapter Two**

_One Ought to Hold On to One's Heart_

Regina had this look to her that was something of a mix between a six year old on a Christmas morning and an ex-smoker relapsing after months without nicotine.

Her eyes darkened and glimmered all at once, her fingertips wriggled with excitement, the right corner of her lip quirked upward and her pulse mimicked hummingbird's wings against her neck, legs and chest.

_Sweet taste of magic filled adrenaline_.

The more she got a glimpse into the blonde's power the more she craved it flowing through her veins.

Emma's eyes fell to the fire emanating from Regina's palm and she gulped, not daring to move.

She wasn't sure of how serious Regina was being, but, judging from her sweltering stare, Emma guessed _pretty goddamn serious_.

Should she attack? Maybe throw one of those light circle things again? Right, as if she knew how to bring about the same magic as before. As if she knew how to do _anything_ compared to the Queen. She could barely cook pasta without it sticking to the bottom of the pan and now she was expected to fight with _magic_?! Something she'd never believed in in the first place. Something she'd daydreamed about as a child but grew up to find it only belonged in fairytales.

But she was _in_ those fairytales now.

She was the daughter of _Snow White_, for christ's sake.

Get it together.

"Cat got your magic, Swan?"

Emma locked her stare with Regina's, drew in a breath and felt the scorching sparks travelling from her chest to her fingertips. She stretched them out, held on to herself and let the power surge forward. She had to shut her eyes to shield herself from the pinkish blinding light that shot from her hands towards Regina, who then had to put out the fireball to create a shield of flashing blue energy in order to keep herself from being swallowed by the massive wave.

When the magic dissipated, Emma fluttered her eyes open to find a rather flabbergasted Regina still standing in the same defensive position.

"Impressive," The Queen muttered through a grin. "Let's see what else you can do."

Barely a moment later, Regina positioned herself in a way Emma could only recognize as someone who was readying themselves to shoot arrows, except without the actual equipment.

She held her breath, unsure of what to do and there was a silent beat that followed the anticipation.

Then, Regina let go of the imaginary string and an actual arrow materialized out of thin air, heading in Emma's direction.

She yelped and instinctively dropped to the ground, looking back to see the arrow stab the tree directly behind her and then vanish into purple smoke.

"What the hell! You could've actually killed me!" She protested, jumping to her feet.

Regina rolled her eyes and cocked her hands to her hips.

"I can cure an arrow wound with a waving hand," She boasted. "Besides, you have to _feel_ fear in order to control it. You see an arrow? Instantly wish for it to disintegrate and it _will_. You see someone running towards you with a very large spear? Imagine it's a snake and it will bite your attacker's neck."

Emma gathered her breath. She didn't know what frightened her more: the actual dangerous scenarios or the power she held in simply having thoughts.

"Let's try again," She shakily said. "The arrow thing."

Regina grinned, nodded and readied herself once again while Emma recomposed.

_Alright, Emma, think. The arrow is nothing, it's air, it's frickin' fairy dust, it is whatever you want it to be_.

Deep breath.

Regina pulled the invisible string.

Aim.

_Just think._

Set.

_It's whatever you want it to be_.

Fire.

The arrow materialized half-way towards her - later than it did the previous time - and Emma's thoughts drained from her, leaving her with nothing but a blank stare and panic.

The metal point sliced through the center of her chest and, at first, she felt nothing.

She noticed only Regina's eyes bulging in sheer horror and it took her a second to fully comprehend what had happened.

The arrow had shot straight through her heart.

Emma dropped to her knees and tumbled backwards. Her first instinct was to rip the blade from herself, but she found it impossible to lift her hands as all strength seemed to have fluttered away.

"Emma, oh god," Regina plopped next to her and immediately she knew it was bad. When Regina Mills' reaction to something is 'oh god' it can only mean something _really_ bad.

"Sh-shit," Emma managed to cough out.

Regina's hands hovered aimlessly above her chest, around the arrow, then up to cradle Emma's cheek as it had become pale.

She then focused one hand above the wound and clenched her eyes shut, mouthing silent words as Emma's head slowly became heavier and lifeless.

"Stay with me, eyes open, come on." She gently slapped the blonde's cheek and she coughed again.

Regina softly laid her hand over Emma's chest and a crimson light glimmered through, much like the light of the hearts she had held in her hands, except stronger and brighter. She could suddenly hear Emma's heartbeat, she could even feel it drumming against her palm and it was then that her eyes flew open and she gasped.

Her hand had gone _through_ Emma's chest without her even realizing it.

She literally grasped the blonde's heart and a simmering energy shot straight up her arm to lodge in her chest.

Regina trembled and her parted lips quivered, it was unbeknownst to her what seemed to be happening as her chest too started glowing red and her own heart hammered against her ribcage in what seemed to be a furious attempt to escape.

It felt like nothing of this world.

The strongest magic that had _ever_ crossed her body, the most uncontrollable power she had ever had her grip on.

It was both terrifying and absolutely compelling.

Her whole body shook and she could taste the adrenaline in the back of her throat.

After a moment, the heart beating in her hand and the one in her chest synced. They beat in unison and both lights seemed to breathe along to their rhythm.

It was then that the arrow dissipated and Emma sucked in a loud breath, jolting from her slumber and opening her eyes to find Regina with her hand still inside her chest.

They locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity and her mind went back to the day where they opened up a portal through a single touch and a twist of a hat.

Then, Regina released her heart and pulled her hand out. The lights dimmed, and the energy within them calmed, though she could still feel her nerve endings sizzling and begging for more.

"What the hell just happened?" Emma breathed, sitting up straight and taking in the image of a disheveled Regina knelt beside her.

"I shot you," She swallowed the hard lump in her throat and sniffled the tears back into their ducts. "Right through your heart."

"I thought you could 'cure an arrow wound with a waving hand'," Emma brought her palms to rub the now healed spot. "How did the 'waving hand' get inside my chest?"

Regina still found it difficult to speak.

"It went through your _heart_. You could've died right in the instant it stabbed you. But you didn't. And I still don't understand why, or what happened," She shook her head, eyes unfocused and lost within the previous moments. "I have no explanation to give you."

She really didn't. Their hearts had _synced_ and glowed with the same intensity and in the exact same color. Emma shouldn't have survived. It was impossible, the shot should've been fatal, instantly killing her and there would have been nothing Regina could've done to bring her back.

But, somehow, _it didn't_. And it was as if Emma's heart had pulled her hand inside. She could still feel it pounding within her grasp and the indescribable energy tingling in her fingertips.

Emma was struggling to catch her breath. She'd blacked out for a few moments and was rather unsure if she had actually died or if she'd simply lost consciousness.

She would rather believe in the later.

Emma's eyes fell to Regina's lap where her hands were now nervously fiddling with themselves.

Her heart had been in that left hand.

Regina Mills had held her heart and _pumped it back to life_.


End file.
